I decided to write about my passion for gardening past, present and future.
I have been ill suffering with Lyme Disease since May 2003 but at last after long term antibiotic treatment getting my life back and can again enjoy my garden.

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

AUTUMN FLOWERS

The flowers in the garden are still providing an interesting show.

I planted out Delphinium I had grown from seed not expecting it to flower until next year but was delighted to see they have added to the Autumn colour.

I moved the pots of Dahlia from the centre bed to this bed next to the wall. I needed to use the space to plant out Wallflowers and the Dahlia were not ready to be stored for the winter just yet.

I have always found growing Delphinium from seed rewarding but they do not do well in my mixed borders as they need attention to keep slugs and snails off their tender shoots so I try whenever possible to give them a bed of their own. This is not easy in my garden too many plants. This bed by the wall although it has several large shrubs and roses is ok because I can still watch over the Delphinium plants and they do look lovely flowering there both from the front window and from the road. Cheers up many a passer bye's face when they see a riot of flowers.

This was a straggler Fuschia from last year but such a delightful flower. I am not good at keeping non hardy fuschia year to year they get so woody and never produce nice shaped plants. Yet another skill to develop.

The grapes still looking great and the birds are enjoying the feast.

The Acer looking ok although a bit dry round the edges of the leaves from lack of water.

Arbutus Uneo with still one or two fruit looking attractive now they are deep red with the Fuschia peeping through the fence. I am rather pleased the Arbutus is surviving, when it lost so many leaves early in the year I started to worry, but it looks happy enough now.

Cercis Canadensis Forest Pansy is also looking happy so I am pleased with this too.

Amelanchier a must for any garden that can accommodate a small tree. White blossom in the spring followed by red berries that encourage the birds to feed and then this lovely autumn colour which will be followed by the Acer's colour soon.

Not as colourful as earlier in the year a little sad really that summer is behind us.

A few more Dahlia that filled a bed in the back after I had attacked the ground elder.

This was early evening sun going down on the right of the picture which is why the garden isn't so well lit.

Late sun through Amelanchier.

Another Fuschia left over from last years hanging baskets.

Hydrangea with it's Autumn colours.

Hypericum I think Elstead, the berries look better than the flowers do.

My goodness you still have loads of flowers putting on a show. Love the Forest Pansy I've never seen that before and your Delphinium. I've wanted Delphiniums for years and finally got ONE out of a packet of seeds and it came back this year. Then I thought the heat burned it but it's back again. Maybe I FINALLY got a keeper - ya think? I love them and want to have many!

You have a beautiful garden! I just learned yesterday about the varieties of grapes that grow in Texas. Black Spanish, Blanc DuBois, Champanel, Lake Emerald and Verdelet. I don't know much about growing them...Your grapes look wonderful! :)

Your garden is still looking so pretty. You've got a lot in bloom still. I've tried Arbutus before but it died both times. They really are neat shrubs/tree. I love Delphiniums, the slugs always get them before they have a chance here. I finally decided to grow Larkspur instead.

Joanne, Your cottage garden is delightful. it would be miraculous for delphinium to grow here...but they sure are beautiful. I am laughing to myself that our native cercis looks so much happier in your garden! Forest Pansy is not happy here! gail

Joanne, your garden is lovely and it's still got so much going on. My delphinium has decided to grow again after I cut it back about a month ago. I don't think it will come to much though as we aren't having enough sun to open the flower buds.

What a lovely post!So much life still in the garden..gorgeous! I too adore delphiniums..we have the same ones! yay! They look stunning Joanne..marvelous job! And I also love the hydrangeas in autumn...beautiful photos..it looks magical!! Your morning gory is so sweet,one of my faves..it always brings cheer!The birds must enjoy feasting on the grapes..me too! Great post!

You still have so much colour Joanne. Love the delphinium. I have always stayed clear of them as I am convinced that the mollusc population would have them for breakfast, dinner and tea but must give them a go !

Hi Joanne, I read your post below on vaccines and autism, didn't comment but found it interesting and thought provoking. I love the mix of health and gardening topics,basically including anything that is important to you. Keep it up - your efforts are appreciated! cheers, catmint

Joanne I just had to visit again... so much to see. I love the arch and winding walk way ... your little bird house and the beautiful lanky dahlia is so lovely. I also love looking over the rooftops and that part of your garden is so beautiful ... looks like a potager ... I think I see a row of leeks. Wonderful Wonderful garden! Hope this day has brought light into your heart. Carol

Many thanks for so many lovely comments Carol a second visit how flatterring. Yes they are leeks and a potager is rather a posh way to describe it but I suppose one could.

When I look back over the last year the best bit of the garden I suppose has been the potager, so full of roses and other flowers. I have to smile at the fact that to me this is the best bit one does not expect the vegetable area to be the one with the most flowers in too.

What a lovely garden you have! I so enjoyed looking at all of the pictures. We are getting ready to have a frost tonight although it was cold enough for one last night. Highly unusual for the south since it is too early for it. I had to scramble around trying to gather my pots together and cover them up until I can get around to settling them in for winter. It is always so nice to see an established garden. Soon I hope I will have one again.

LYME LIFE written 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks, 4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential.

My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said, but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer at the time I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area.

Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite the Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work.

Life is such a joy.

Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses.

Look at UK charity http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one.

One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.